1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to lottery systems and more particularly to identifying the individual or group that has purchased a lottery ticket.
2. Related Art
Since the advent of the online lottery industry, the lottery game tickets have been anonymous, bearer instruments. This has implications for players and lotteries, where players risk the potential for retailer fraud and the loss of a ticket equates to a loss of rights. Also, lotteries have very limited data on the players.
Of these concerns, limiting the potential for retailer fraud has become paramount in recent years due to concerns raised primarily in Canada. As a response to this, lotteries have expanded distribution of check-a-ticket technology that provides players an opportunity to scan a game ticket prior to giving the game ticket to their retailer for validation. However, this technology is expensive and occasionally causes the player as many headaches as it resolves, due to messaging on the device and the consistency of read rates.
In most lottery games, the game ticket is a bearer instrument in which a loss of a winning ticket results in a loss of rights to the winnings. Accordingly, it becomes incumbent upon the player to retain their game ticket and ensure that their retailer validates their game ticket. Failure on the part of the player to take either of these actions results in a negative experience for the player, from what should be a positive one.
Also, as bearer instruments in most lottery games, game tickets provide very little player information. Play data is limited to the parameters supported either by the play-slip or via the terminal. As a result lotteries are limited to a combination of player club membership/2nd chance drawings, and claim files to ascertain any specific level of a player's preferences. As competing industries are finding creative ways to leverage technology to develop a more personal relationship with their customers, it has become critically important that lotteries pursue this goal as well.
Currently, most host lottery systems are designed in accordance with the needs of an anonymous player, and all lottery systems that operate by scanning play-slips at retail terminals follow the anonymous player model. Accordingly, systems' promotion modules limit administrators to define only narrow set of criteria by which promotions will be offered, such as promotions based on Every Nth Ticket, Buy X Tickets, and Time/Date (i.e. from 5 PM-7 PM on Fridays). For anonymous players, these criteria are paired with promotions that provide free plays, higher payouts, and entries. Such promotions can be offered system-wide. The only choice players have is whether or not they want to purchase the qualifying transaction.